Introduction

Antec is back on our test bench this time around with the newest addition to their EarthWatts series of power supplies.

The new EarthWatts series represents a huge step for Antec as these new units are their first 80Plus Platinum rated units to come to market. Antec currently offers the latest iteration of EarthWatts power supplies in 450W, 550W and 650W varieties.

Antec is hopping on the Platinum bandwagon strong with claims that the EarthWatts 650W Platinum unit can reduce power consumption by up to 25%.

That's quite a hearty claim so let's dig into the unit and see what it can really do.

Specifications, Availability and Pricing

Something that we aren't used to seeing in lower end power supplies anymore is the inclusion of multiple rails. The EarthWatts 650W Platinum unit has four 12V rails capable of 30A each and a combined maximum output of 48A total. The 3.3V rail is capable of 20A while the 5V rail is rated for only 18A. These two rails have a combined maximum output of 105W. Total output for the unit is rated at 650W.

The EarthWatts series of power supplies might not be the most feature-rich line of PSU's that Antec has to offer, but it certainly offers more than enough to get the job done. There are plenty of protections offered up with the EarthWatts 650W. The only one we found lacking was Over Temperature Protection. We also found that the unit wasn't rated for 100% continuous output at 50C either, but it is somewhat expected that you'll be using a higher end power supply if it is intended for such an environment. Lastly, the unit doesn't have any modular cables.

Antec has an MSRP of $129.95 on the EarthWatts 650W Platinum unit. A quick look around will yield cheaper results and the lowest we could find the unit for was for $115.49 shipped at SuperBiiz. Antec backs the EarthWatts 650W Platinum with a three year warranty.